Teeeitoey



(No Model.) l

' C. H. PRATT.

- PASTENING DEVICE. No. 878,480. Patented Feb. 28, 1888.

, single lace.

terra 'rares 'TF T FFIICE@ CHARLES H. PRATT, OF BUTTE CITY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO C. M. BUCK, OF SILVER BOW COUNTY, MONTANA TERRITORY.

FASTENHNG DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 378,460, dated February 28, 1888. Application filed August 13, 1887. Serial No. 246,824. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, GnAnLns H. PRATT, of Butte City, in the county of Silver Bow and Territory of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a device whereby the end of a lace with which a shoe, glove, or other like article is laced or fastened may be quickly and effectively secured, so that it shall not slip or become loosened.

To this end it consists of a helix of wire or other spring metahhaving means for securing the ends thereof to the article with which it is to be used, and having, also, alip turned upward to facilitate the introduction of the cord beneath said helix, and also in the details of the particular form shown and described, as pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l shows my device attached to a shoe and securing the end of a Fig. 2 shows it attached to an umbrella. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detached views of the device in different forms,and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my fastening device.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents a helix, preferably made of steel wire, the coils of which lie in substantially the same plane. The number of coils inthe helix is not material, further than that there should be as many as the drawings show-to wit, about one and one-half coil. In the form shown the ends of the wire arebent at substantially right angles to the plane of the helix, thereby forming the arms a a, whereby said helix is attached to any article. At a convenicnt point the wire is bent upward, forming the lip a2, under which a cord is easily drawn.

In Fig. l the device is shown attached to a shoe. The` arms a a pass through the leather, and are clinched on the under side thereof to hold the device flat against the leather. A single lace only is employed, and the shoe is provided with the usual lacing eyelets and hooks. The shoe is laced and the lace or cord tightly drawn and carried across to the fastener A. It is then drawn under the helix, the lip a2 facilitating its introduction, and carried around until the cord is wound about the wire near the center of the helix and at a point in line with the strain of the cord, at which point it is advantageous to suddenly bend the wire in the direction of its curvature,as shown at the point marked a3. In this position the cord is held iirmly, first, by the pressure of the wire of the outer coil, and also, and principally, by the pressure of the wire at the point marked 2 and by the frictionvof the cord around the wire at this point. If the cord be again introduced beneath the lip a5 and carried around to the center, additional security is given by the additional prcssure of the wire,

The device above described may be used to fasten the lacing of a glove, or, as shown in Fig. 2, to secure the cord about an umbrella. It may also be employed on corsets to secure the lacing-cord, or in any place where it is desired to secure a tightly-drawn cord. NVhen made of proper size aud strength and provided With suitable means for securing it to a wagon or carriage, it also makes an effective rein-holder.

The device has been thus far described as made of wire, but for some purposes it may be stamped Vfrom sheet metal, as shown in Fig. 4.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In the herein-described fastening device, a helix of spring metal, the coils of which lie in lsubstantially the same plane, having the turnedup lip a2,andhaving,also, means where` by the ends of said helix may be secured to any desired article, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A fastener for shoes, gloves, &c., consisting of a helix of spring metahthe coils of' which lie in substantially the same plane, having the arms a a andv the turned-up lip u, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A fastener for shoes, gloves, rbc., consist ing of a helix of spring metahthe coils of which lie in substantially the same plane, having the arms a a, the turned-up lip a2, and an abrupt bend near the center of the helix and in the direction of its curvature, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES H. PRATT.

Vitnesses:

A. LUNDEEN, E. L. THURsloN.

IOO 

